Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss, but has remanded these matters due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss aggravated his depression, leading to his death by suicide.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus should be remanded due to incomplete records, inconsistency in the Veteran's reports, and lack of a diagnosis or opinion regarding etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence on file, and the Board is unable to make a determination without an additional VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as the earliest effective dates that can be assigned are September 24, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss prior to June 10, 2017 is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if he meets the criteria for a higher rating from June 10, 2017 onwards.

The Veteran's appeal of the TDIU issue is dismissed as moot. The claims for service connection related to hearing loss, cervical spine injury, and headaches are remanded due to new evidence or further examination being required.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service due to lack of in-service noise exposure and insufficient evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied.,Initial 10 percent ratings were granted for shin splints of the left and right legs, but a higher rating is sought for left shoulder strain.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as the available audiometric reports demonstrate entitlement to nothing more than a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 50 percent, and he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, while his back disorder is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 50 percent since September 26, 2018. The evidence shows that his hearing impairment has worsened to levels IX in the right ear and VIII in the left ear.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is denied a higher rating for tinnitus and hearing loss, but TDIU from April 1, 2011 to April 12, 2012 is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to insufficient evidence of a current disability, as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial increased rating for his hearing loss disability prior to April 2, 2018 is denied. The Board found no medical evidence on which a higher rating could be assigned. For the period from April 2, 2018, the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus associated with the Veteran's hearing loss. The decision is based on credible testimony from the Veteran regarding his in-service exposure to loud noises without protection, which led to current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.